Lil Wayne is back in the headlines this week, and it’s not for another Sizzurp-induced seizure or signing has-beens to a record contract (thank god for small miracles?). No, instead he’s getting shit this time around for apparently stepping on an American flag in his new video for ‘God Bless Amerika’. Why anyone gives a shit about this is beyond me – it’s a piece of fabric and has no bearing on… well, anything in life. People need to get a grip on reality and find something real to care about.
Anyway, apparently people (I’m imagining of the white, conservative variety) are all up in arms about this to the point where Tunechi felt the need to hit up Twitter and offer an explanation:
I didn't step on the flag on purpose! It's a scene in a video where the flag drops behind me and after it drop it's just there as I perform
— Lil Wayne WEEZY F (@LilTunechi) June 18, 2013
Is this real life? Shit like this makes me want to step on a flag just to piss people off. Lighten up, folks.
Seriously, don’t play the “who can I piss off” game. You drink the kook-aid of all your fellow camp-followers without question because you think it makes you hip, street, and cool. Go explain your opinions to the guy who got his leg(s) and arm(s) blown off in combat, or better yet, his long suffering wife and kids. Tell me how it works out for you.
I think this guy didn’t do it intentionally, or didn’t wanna cause all the fuss. Fair enough. You must not have either been in the service or lived in a 3rd world country, eh?
how many white conservitives are watching a lil wayne video
as Dennis implied I am startled that anybody can make ($)8709 in one month on the computer. have you read this web page—–> http://WWW.CAN99COM
Only the ones that know how to spell properly.
Wow…this is unreal. Jennifer, you’re right…it is just a piece of fabric. However, that fabric is a banner of pride for many people throughout the world. For personal reasons I stopped saying the pledge when I was in 6th grade, but wouldn’t dare belittle someone who chose to participate. I recently had the honor of escorting a small group of WW2 veterans on a day trip to D.C. To see the honor, reverence, pride, valor, and humility these men exhibited was truly inspiring. You often speak of tolerance, perhaps its time you showed some.
You are apiece of crap . You can tell your not American . It’s not just a piece of fabric . I wonder what those vets would have said if you said that to them ? It wouldn’t have been pretty I can guarantee it .
Where the fuck did that come from? Your reading comprehension sucks. Btw, I am an American and I served. Spare me your civilian outrage, you haven’t a clue about what you speak. Fuckin moron…
Well, you’re both sorta on the same side – saying how important the American flag is. And, Chaz, if you served, particularly in a combat theater of operations, thank you for your service. But there are folks who have never known or seen war (EBG columnists included) who are very flippant about what the American flag means or doesn’t mean. That’s a consequence of us not having had a major war which required all hands on deck, more or less, in over half a century. Where am I wrong here?
Wow Jennifer! I’m a veteran and I’m seriously starting to wonder why the hell I bothered! I joined because I love this country and I love the people in this country. But it’s people like you and that jackass that seriously make me doubt why I bothered. After I did bother I can never work again, I can never enjoy the life I had before and I enjoy the appreciation of people like you. Thanks Jennifer!
Neve, I’m unsure how my failure to believe we should vilify someone for stepping on a flag means I don’t support or respect the troops that fight for this country (albeit half the time in fights we should never have been involved with in the first place, but that doesn’t negate the sacrifices of servicemen and women). Nowhere in this article did I imply anything about soldiers. While I understand what the American flag can be symbolic of for some people, I stand by my original (intended) message that there are bigger battles to fight in the world than someone stepping on a flag – accidentally or otherwise. Had he stomped on it and said, “Fuck America and fuck the troops!”, then we would be having a different conversation.
However, the thing I will apologise for is any offense taken by anyone who has served or is currently serving in the armed forces. It is far from easy and the sacrifices made are ones I could never do, so my admiration and respect is there and I’m sorry if that wasn’t abundantly clear. I did not relate soldiers to a rapper stepping on a flag, so perhaps that was my oversight?
Jennifer – Please go to TMZ and watch the video they have up of him stomping on the flag. Listen to the lyrics. Yes there are bigger battles. But that flag is a symbol of what is GOOD in this country. Not what is bad.
Just one thing…the flag is not “symbolic for some people.” It is inescapably a symbol, no matter what. All flags are. If you doubt this, try putting up a Nazi flag outside your home and see what happens. Better yet, go to Germany and do that. You may soon find yourself in a heated debate with the authorities over whether or not flags mean anything. A nation or group’s flag is meant to be a kind of visual shorthand for the people and their ideals. If you live here or have ever benefited from anything America has done abroad, you owe it some respect. If America is more sensitive about the desecration of their flag than some other countries, this is because it is believed by both Americans and many people abroad that we have achieved a way of life that, while certainly imperfect, is head and shoulders above the oppressive regimes and limited opportunities that are the day-to-day reality in many places. America’s ideals were not realized for the country; the country was realized for the ideals. We are a relatively young country, and that freedom did not come without bloodshed. Since the nation’s birth, our unique freedoms have periodically been threatened, both at home and abroad. Fortunately, there have always been activists, politicians, and soldiers willing to defend it. The flag is the physical embodiment of all that history and struggle, and there are fifty stars and thirteen stripes on it for a reason. The stars are intended to represent the states, and the stripes are the thirteen original colonies. Whatever you think of the flag, just know that it is one of the most loaded symbols on Earth. It is all about what can be achieved through hope, opportunity, and sacrifice. No, it’s not a perfect Union, but is ” a more perfect Union” than a lot of places. The more thoughtful and passionate people who stand on it will succeed in making a profound and poignant statement about our government’s shortcomings. However, the majority of people who do it will just come off as ignorant douchebags to whom nothing is sacred because usually that is who stands on the flag.
Mike, you are the man! Well said!! Thank you!!!
plus one on the well-put, Mikey, Thanks.
Actually for that just a piece of fabric to have even been allowed to touch the floor or ground is a desecration of said piece of fabric
Oh and that flag he stomped all over. It means a hell of a lot to people like me. We put our lives on the line defending what it stands for.
Too bad we can’t pluck Jennifer, jackass up there and the others that feel that way about the flag up and drop them off where they feel the same way about our symbol of freedom. As a veteran, I wish I could have picked who I was injured and disabled defending and fighting for. It certainly would not have been either of them. Lighten up? About the ignorance of people drinking things they know will send them into seizures, most definitely. Stomping all over the flag (the photos prove it) and then being too much of a coward to defend his own actions? NAH…never. I fought and put my life on the line. Can either of you say the same and salute that flag with pride, reverence, and honor? no…you can not.
Did you seriously just fucking write that? How can you be so incredibly stupid, insensitive and “oh, I’m too cool for patriotism”?
As I sit here in Afghanistan proud of the flag that that piece of shit (am I talking about Lil Wayne or you?) blatantly disrespects, I hope you sit back and think about the stupid shit that comes out of your mouth and realize that people have lived and died by the flag you’re so flippant about…and then have the nerve to act as if it’s not a big deal.
If you think we should ‘lighten up’ why don’t you come over here, you cheeky little snot and see men walking around with prosthetic limbs and talk that shit to them.
Piss off. As a long time EB fan, this is absofuckinglutely unacceptable.
Jennifer, you are right!
Just ignore these fascists who think that accidentally stepping on a flag is a violation of their so called honor and who think that serving make them better human beings.
Before I wrote what I did to Jennifer, I had read the story on TMZ earlier. If it had been a “accident” I would have called him a stupid little shit and continued to never listen to his music. BUT TMZ has a video of that nasty little asshole clearly and continually stomping all over a large cloth American flag. Why does this upset many of us you may ask. Allow me to explain. Many of us view that simple piece of cloth as a symbol of our country. A symbol of our freedom. To use it in a degrading manner is the same as saying you no longer love this country. That being said, allow me to point out we are free to leave this country at any time. Calling me a fascist is demeaning to my time in service and my love for this country and the symbol of it. Thank you. And Thank you Jennifer for your apology. In the military, we do salute and hold the flag with respect and reverence.
Right anonymous. Defend Lil Wayne, the gang-banging piece of shit. He and his fellow gang pussies are a symbol of everything WRONG in our country. Just vermin who need to be exterminated.
And foreigners who live in our country and see nothing wrong with this? They need to leave.
I’m a liberal, and I believe in free speech and freedom of expression. That said, if you are intentionally stepping on the flag (which I’m not sure Lil Wayne was), it needs to be for a damn good reason. For instance, if I heard that protesters were stepping on a flag in reference to the NSA’s invasion of privacy, I could understand that.
Jennifer does not seem to understand the gravity of the act. However, I am willing to cut her some slack because I don’t think she is from here. Besides her initial use of “pounds” rather “dollars” on this site, I have also noticed her using the British spellings of words a few times. I can chalk it up to cultural differences in the same way. After all, it’s difficult for me to understand why some Irish people would get murderously angry if you called them “British,” but it happens.
Please, let’s not try to excuse her ignorance or her rudeness away. I am a liberal too, but come on – quite being such a liberal push-over, excuse-for-everything stereotype. Besides, being British or not is beyond the point; that is implying that Brits have no sense of the offensive nature of degrading a nations flag.
It’s abundantly clear that she does, in fact, understand the gravity of her words, she just doesn’t care. There’s a huge difference.
Clearly you didn’t read my apology to Neve above.
I’m not trying to be anything, and I’m not a pushover. I said what I thought based on the fact that cultural differences are a real thing and that certain acts are more offensive to certain nations than others. Few nations would like their flag trampled, but yes, I do think Americans are on the far end of the sensitivity spectrum when it comes to this. This is ironic since we are always stressing freedom of speech/expression, and I think if I hadn’t always lived here I would find that rather confusing.
@Jennifer – yeah, I read your ‘apology’, and it comes across very half-assed. Mike said it perfectly; try waving a Nazi flag and see what kind of response you get. Whether you like it or not, symbols are a non-verbal representation of ones beliefs, and considering you don’t seem to believe in anything except snark and cynicism, I’m guessing your flag would look blank and white.
Enjoy your 4th of July weekend…ya know, the one that that flag helped get and protect for you.
As an Irish person, I can tell you that many here would take exception to being called British because of the long history of oppression and plantation of Ireland by the English, where for hundreds of years their land
was seized and they were more or less serfs or slaves in their own country. During the height of the potato famine, when as many as a milliion died of starvation, tons of grain were being exported to England while the natives died in their thousands of hunger. So that is why…long memories.
That was supposed to be in reply to Mike
Yes, I am aware of the history. Nevertheless, most Americans think of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales (if they are even aware that Wales exists) as the UK. An American who refers to an Irish person as British is probably not making some grand political statement. When you consider the fact that the northern part is technically part of the UK, well, it seems even more unreasonable to have a hair-trigger response to what is almost always a careless verbal slip.
Neve I just wanted to say thanks for your words of wisdom I wish more people were like you . Thank you for serving . You know the true meaning of pride and respect ! I am married to a man who served 23 years and I know how important the flag is !
Wow Thank you so much Anonymous. I come from a military family and am also married to a veteran. It’s not a easy life on either side so my many thanks to you as well. I wish people would understand what that simple piece of cloth means. I’ve seen the ugly in other countries and trust me, leaving them to fend for themselves there would change some attitudes. That nasty so called rapper gang banger wanna-be seriously needs to spend time in combat and then he may grow up. The citizens of this country are so blessed to have the freedom they do and yet they have no idea.
God Bless
The fact that the flag was even allowed to touch the ground in order for him to accidentally step on it is an issue in itself. Also the fact that he so blatantly disregards the flag to have it drop to the ground then step on it just proves he has no respect for the flag or its symbolism. I think if you respect the country, you respect the flag that symbolizes it. And because of all the great things our country as a whole has accomplished, he is able to make millions of dollars (capitalism), he is able to say basically what he wants (1st amendment), and the fact that he is black and able to accomplish what he has thus far (abolishment of slavery). Also I would like to add, the reputation of Lil Wayne is to do things for shock value, so the fact that he did this should not be surprising and sadly demeaning to the image of people in his line of work and his ethnic background. With that, the next time anyone thinks to disgrace or disrespect the symbolism of all things great in America, I hope you think twice about what that “piece of material” means to this country.
BTW if it were an accident, it would have been reshot and edited out- its not like he doesn’t have the money to reshoot the scene!
“Shit like this makes me want to step on a flag just to piss people off.”
What a jerk comment. This site is becoming your personal soapbox and it’s really fucking annoying.
I completely agree; besides the fact that is just a blatantly ignorant and negative thing to say! Yu just have to feel bad for people such as that!
Really, M, you hit the nail on the head!!! What kind of person even SAYS something like that? Let’s see….if she were an atheist, maybe burning a baby Jesus would be a good idea to just piss off some Christians. Common decency and character dictate that you don’t walk around being offensive just for the sake of being offensive. Who goes around wanting to be an asshole just to hurt or annoy others. Ugh. I don’t care if she came from the South Pole, any idiot knows that the people of a country treasure their flags. And they DO mean something whether you are conservative or liberal (I’m liberal, by the way). Look up the rules of how to display and how to treat our American flag with respect. They are specific. Our flag NEVER TOUCHES the ground. If they do, they are to be retired in a respectful ceremony. The Boy Scouts, for example, will help you out should you need help with a damaged or old flag. She would probably think being so careful with our flag is stupid. It’s called RESPECT. When she grows up maybe she’ll learn what that means. Those comments were a slap in the face to anybody who served in the military or who served in the home front. Those comments were a slap in the face to the heroes! Those comments were a slap in the face to my father’s Purple Heart and to my mother’s broken heart.
That apology can be filed under “Half hearted attempts to apologize when you don’t really mean it” along with Rush Limbaugh’s apology to Sandra Fluke.
I get that our country isn’t perfect and there are countless things going on right now that really piss me off with our government. But I will continue to respect my country and do what I can to help improve it. And I will forever respect OUR flag.
And a big THANK YOU to the service members who have taken the time to post on this thread. You have my gratitude and undying respect for all you do for us and have done for us since the 70’s….the seventeen 70’s that is! (And I apologize in advance for any typos…it’s late and I’m ticked off.)
You’re an idiot if you think the American Flag means nothing, go move to fucking Canada if you hate US so much. It’s the land of the free that gives you the opportunity to sit on your ass and complain about things beyond your comprehension so go back to reading People or watching TMZ. whatever it is you do to “keep up on the news”
If you think Mary`s story is unbelievable,, last week my cousins step mom got a cheque for $6929 putting in a twenty hour week from there house and there friend’s sister`s neighbour has been doing this for 3 months and recieved a check for more than $6929 part-time online. the guidelines at this site, BOW6com
I almost never comment on stuff like this but…you people are fucking insane. Yes, you, Americans. Your so-called freedoms are legislated away and trampled on by your government more every day; but what gets you riled up is some faux-celeb nobody trampling on your precious flag. I’ll roll it up and smoke it if I should feel the need – that’s what real freedom is, not mindless jingoist slavery to an ideological notion that was quaint 50 years ago.
I’m completely aware of the freedoms we are losing bit by bit in this country, and it scares the shit out of me. I don’t trust the government we have now, I don’t trust this forced two party system (kept in check by the Commission on Presidential Debates, a non-profit corporation that runs itself on donations, many given by large corporations and foundations, by the way). We are the ones who should control the government, not the other way around. The American people are blind. They need to wake the fuck up and realize exactly what they are entitled to, what they are being deprived of, and fight for it. I feel like many should heed these words: “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Choose liberty. This false sense of security only serves to take away our freedoms.
I also feel that the flag represents all of the freedoms we SHOULD have (for fuck’s sake, our national anthem is called “The Star-Spangled Banner”), so I’ll get riled up if I want to when someone defiles it.
Reading inane, fucktard jibberish like “Shit like this makes me want to step on a flag just to piss people off” shows the incredible stupidity of the clown saying said jibberish.
You have no idea whatsover about what the American Flag actually stands for.
All the worthless turds that think that way (along with King Fucktard himself- Lil’ Wayne) can gladly go far, far away and never, ever come back.
what do you expect from a Nigger.
well well look at all the dumb fucks on this site
all i can say is so what he stepped on the flag big
fucking whoop who cares the us flag does no represent
the same morals and beliefs that it once did
our country is in the toilet right now we owe trillions of dollars
to china which means that they have a stake in our country our politicians are corrupt the police harass citizens constantly people are raising spoiled little brats
that run around killing lil kids and the elderly because the law says that if you hit a child its abuse even
if said child only gets a little swat on the backside which basicly means the government dosent care if your kid joins a gang start using hard drugs and alcohol at a young age which opens the door to drug overdose,suicide,murder,rape,robbery,assault oh did i forget to tell you that our country is running rampent with said crimesif you know that allready then you know what type of america we live in now
as for the armed services there are alot of good service men who have died for the flag i respect that
but in this day and age what are we fighting saddams dead bin ladens dead its been 12 years since the world trade center so why do we still fight tell me that
they say its the war on terror tell me how do they expect to win a war on terror when its been around since the dawn of time its never going way there will all ways be ass holes like hitler saddam and osama bin laden trying to kill people to either oppress them or to get their point accross and f.y.i alot of people join the military for personal reasons such as benefits and pay
im american i pride my self on how far we have come but shake my head in sorrow when i see how far from our values and morals we have strode
our forefathers must be rolling in their graves
from all thats happend in the last 200 and some odd years and another quick fact we send more aid to countrys that are known to supply and harbor terrorists
then we do to better the quality of our own living such as better education for our children actually helping the less fortunate get back on their feet not sale them dreams of hope only to deny them what was promised and yes i know for the most part that being homeless is a choice but not all homless people have a choice most suffer from mental illness or physical disabilities
not to mention that kids that are homeless are more than likely to become criminals or drug addicts do to their settings so yes as the person up top stated we have bigger wars to fight then sit here and rant about a
person who has enough money to buy either one of you and just say why dont any body speak out on jessie james as much seeing how he,s nazi memorbillia collector he wears nazi uniforms and from what can see might as well just come out and say im pro nazi
and to the guy who said nigger your are either a back woods inbred sister fucker and pig theif or just plain stupid because you just defiled one of the reasons the people on here are complaining I STAND BY MY STATEMENTS FOR THEY ARE ALL TRUE UNTIL OUR GOVERNMENT GETS BACK TO THE POINT WHERE WE THE CITIZENS HAVE A VOICE WHICH I DOUBT THEN THE FLAG THAT IS HELD SO DEAR AND CHERISHED AND HATED THE WORLD OVER WILL ALLWAYS BE OVER SHADOWED WITH THE DISAPOINTMENT OF A NATION THAT HAS BEEN LIED TO FOR FAR TO LONG
Mistake is in people not in animals.